Things You Learn While Pretending to Sleep
by Anya Urameshi
Summary: It is amazing what you could learn when people think you are asleep. Akuroku with brief mentions of others.


Title: Your Secret Love

It was amazing what you can learn when people think you are asleep.

It was how Roxas Strife had found out that his parents were just as mentally scarring as his older brother, Cloud, always claimed they were.

That his twin sister, Xion, was slightly insane and seemed to have some odd stalker tendencies (that explained the camera she'd begged out of their parents for her birthday).

That his cousin, Squall Leonhart, had a crush on some girl he'd met at an interschool function (Roxas was still having difficulty coming to terms with the idea of Squall actually _liking_ someone).

That his twin brother, Sora, had a huge crush on Kairi Uhara (which confused him for awhile, because he'd always thought Sora leaned more towards Riku...).

And many other interesting facts and tidbits that Roxas knew he never would have found out otherwise (Yuffie Kisaragi was dating their History teacher, Mr. Valentine. Marluxia Hanajima was surprisingly straight for a man who died his hair pink and loved flowers.).

But the oddest thing he had ever found out while he was supposedly sleeping was the one thing that actually had to do with Roxas himself.

_"I love you."_

Days later, Roxas was still having difficulty wrapping his mind around those words.

_"I love you," he said to the seemingly asleep boy._

Had he really meant it. He probably had, Roxas noted. You didn't just tell someone that while they were sleeping for the hell of it.

Did you?

No.

If it was a prank, wouldn't it be more efficient if Roxas were awake for it?

Well, he had been awake.

But HE didn't know that.

Or...did he?

_"I love you," he said to the seemingly sleeping boy. Roxas felt something brush across his lips._

And, he'd kissed him! That had to mean something! You didn't just tell someone that (even if you thought they were sleeping) and kiss them, and then not mean anything by it!

But, this was HIM he was talking about.

_"I love you," he said to the seemingly sleeping boy. Roxas felt something brush across his lips as Axel kissed him._

Sure, he and Axel Cross had been dating off and on for a few months, but Roxas had always thought it was more of an amusement thing for the other boy. He hadn't realized that maybe Axel was serious about their relationship (whatever that happened to be on any particular day).

_Roxas's heart was beating off-kilter by the time the redhead drew back. It took all his willpower to keep up his feigned sleep; which was probably ruined by his reddening cheeks and the way his heart could probably be heard slamming into his ribcage from a mile away._

And they had never kissed each other before. Hell, Roxas couldn't remember them ever even holding hands, let alone anything remotely romantic-like. They were best friends through and through, and Roxas had always assumed that the reason Axel kept asking him out was to deter his many admirers (and Roxas kept breaking up with him because they never DID anything that required them to have the label of "dating"), not because of any actual romantic interest in the blonde (but Roxas definitely had feelings for the idiot, which was why he kept saying yes every time Axel asked, hoping that something would finally give).

_"I love you."_

Really, if it hadn't been for the kiss (mind-blowingly awesome and WAY too short, dammit. Why couldn't the idiot have done it when he WASN'T pretending to be asleep?), Roxas might have just assumed that Axel meant it in a friendly way. Best friends could love each other without being IN love.

Right?

I mean, look at Yuffie Kisaragi and Tanis Valentine. They were best friends (and apparently future sisters-in-law), but they weren't IN love (No, Tanis was engaged to Axel's older brother, Reno, and Yuffie was dating MR. VALENTINE).

_Roxas felt something brush across his lips as Axel kissed him._

Yeah. If it hadn't been for that kiss, Roxas might've been able to put the whole situation behind him and move on (after a few days of worry and angst because he IS the son of Ven Strife, after all). He wouldn't be sitting on his front porch after a week of avoiding Axel (which was really hard when you had the same circle of friends, he was quickly discovering) trying not to pull his hair out in frustration as those words kept replaying over and over; and he could still feel the memory of lips touching his.

_"I love you."_

"So," that voice he had just been imagining drawled from somewhere above him. "I'll just assume you were really awake for that then."

Roxas stared at the red and white sneakers that had come in to his view for a few moments before lifting his gaze up (WAY up. Why the hell did Axel have to be so damned tall? It didn't help that Roxas was currently sitting down either) to Axel's green eyes; and found that all he could do was nod his agreement because he couldn't get his voice to work at all (which was really annoying at a time like this. And how had he NOT heard Axel sneak up? He was really slipping. Cloud would be pissed).

"I didn't want you to hear that," Axel stated abruptly. He kneeled down in front of his friend (Roxas was relieved that he didn't have to strain his neck anymore), maintaining eye contact. "Because I knew you would freak out."

"Then why did you say it," Roxas finally managed. "If you didn't want me to hear? And why did you k-k-kiss..."

Axel sighed, bowing his head slightly. "Because I'm an idiot. But, you already knew that." He lifted his head back up with a grin (Roxas knew it was fake, but chose not to call him on it). "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you to hear."

Roxas rolled his eyes (Yes, Axel's idiocy was definitely not up for questioning...) and sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Jeez...you're really stupid. I mean, we've been dating for months, and you'll only kiss me when I'm sleeping? I mean, am I THAT bad of a boyfriend?"

Axel's eyes widened, and his eyebrows shot up. "Wait...you WANT me to kiss you?"

Roxas gave him a deadpan look. "No. I want you to dress up like a moogle and dance the samba. We've been dating for over half a year and you'll only do romantic things with me when I'm _sleeping_!"

"Yeah, but in those six months, we've broken up...y'know, I actually lost count of how many times..."

"Because we weren't doing anything, so I thought you weren't serious!"

"But, you keep agreeing when I ask you back out."

"Because I WANT to do things!"

Axel's mouth formed an "O" as he stared at the fuming blonde. They sat like that for a beat (one in shock, the other in rapidly fading anger) before Roxas finally let out an irritated growl and all but lunged at his surprised best friend/boyfriend (what the hell did it really matter? they were practically married anyways).

About ten minutes later, Xion poked her head out the front door and loudly told them to "Get a room", because she was "on the fuckin phone", and "couldn't hear Riku over their kissing". To which Roxas replied by shoving Axel off him and demanding to know why the hell his sister was talking to that bastard in the first place.

"I love you!" Axel yelled after him. Roxas froze in the doorway, before turning to grin at the redhead.

"Yeah, I love you too, idiot."


End file.
